In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: No v e m b e r 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

S 1 5 Y0 1 1 5 .IN THE MATTER OF MARY J. WORKMAN.

P ER CURIAM.

Th is d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e Co urt o n th e pe titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry

d isc ip lin e file d b y Re sp on d e n t Ma ry J. Wo rk m a n (S ta te B a r N o

. 7 7 6 6 2 5 )

p u rsu a n t to Ba r Ru le 4-2 2 7 (b ) (2 ) b e fo re th e issu a nc e o f a fo rm a l c o m p la in t. By

th is p e titio n

, Wo rk m a n se e k s to re so lv e fo u r p e n d in g grie v a n c e s a n d a g re e s to

a c c e p t a re p rim a n d fo r h e r m u ltip le a dm itte d v io la tio n s o f Ru le 1 .4 o f th e

Ge o rg ia Ru le s o f P r ofe ssio na l Co n d uc t, se e Ba r Ru le 4-1 0 2 (d ). Wh ile th e

m a x im um sa n c tio n fo r su c h a v io la tio n is a pu b lic re p rim a nd

, w e a gre e to a c c e p t

th e Re sp o n de n t’s re q u e st th a t t h i s m a tte r be re so lv e d with a R e v ie w P a n e l

Re p rim a n d with c o n d itio ns, a s is re c o m m e n d e d b y th e S ta te Ba

r.

In h e r p e titio n

, Wo rk m a n

, wh o h a s b e e n a m e m be r o f th e S ta te Ba r sin c e

1 9 7 9, a d m its th a t in 20 11 f o u r c lie n ts re ta in e d h e r to re p re se n t th e m in th e ir

se p a ra te le g a l m a tte rs, p a y in g h e r re t a i n e rs ra n g in g fro m $ 3 5 0 to $ 3 ,0 0 0

.

Wo rk m a n a dm its th a t sh e d i d n o t a d e qu a te ly c o m m un ic a te w ith th e se fo u rc lie n ts, c a

u sin g a t le a st th re e o f th e m to h a v e to h ire n e w c o u n se l to h a n d le th e ir

m a tte rs. Wo rk m a n c la im s th a t n o n e o f th e se c lie n ts’ le g a l rig h ts wa s u ltim a te ly

h a rm e d b y h e r a c tio n s, th a t sh e h a s a p o lo g iz e d to e a c h c lie n t, a n d th a t sh e h a s

b e g u n re p a y in g e a c h c lie n t a sm a ll a m o u n t m o n th ly a s r e i m b u rse m e n t fo r th e

fe e s p a id to h e r. S h e n o te s, h o w e v e r, th a t o n e c lie n t h a s o bta in e d a ju d g m e n t

a g a in st h e r a n d h a s re fu se d to a c c e p t h e r m o n th ly p a y m e n ts.

Wo rk m a n a d m its th a t b y h e r c o n d u c t sh e h a s re p e a te d ly v io la te d Ru le 1 .4

a n d th a t sh e h a s a p rio r d isc ip lin a ry h isto ry

, ha v in g re c e i v e d a n In v e stig a tiv e

P a n e l Re p rim a n d in 2 00 3. In m itig a tio n, sh e a sse r t s t h a t th e fa ilu re to

c o m m u nic a te with th e se c lie n ts wa s c a u se d in p a rt b y a c o m

b in a tio n o f p h y sic a l

a i l me n ts th a t sh e b e g a n e x pe rie n c in g in la te 2 0 1 0 a n d p re -e x istin g e m o tio n a l

issu e s. Th e se c o n d itio n s c u lm in a te d in a m u lti-d ay h o sp ita l sta y in 2 0 13

. S in c e

th e n

, h o we v e r, Wo rk m a n c la im s to h a v e re c e iv e d a pp ro p ria te m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t

to a d d re ss h e r p hy sic a l a ilm e n ts a n d i s c o ntin u in g to m a n a g e h e r e m o tio n a l

issu e s with th e he lp o f a th e ra p ist. Alth o u g h Wo rk m a n is no w ta k in g c a re o f h e r

c o n d itio n s, sh e a d m its th a t th e c o m b in a tio n o f a ilm e n ts n o t o n ly in te rfe re d with

h e r a b ility to fu lly s e r v e h e r c lie n ts, b ut a lso in c re a se d h e r e x pe n se s a n d

d e c re a se d h e r a

b ility to e a rn in c o m e

, th e re b y d e ple tin g h e r fin a n c ia l re so u rc e s.

2Also in m itig a tio n

, Wo rk m a n a s s e rts th a t h e r fa ilu re s to c o m m u n ic a te d id n o t

ste m f r o m a ny d ish on e st or se lfish m o tiv e

, th a t sh e is re m o rse fu l a n d ha s

a p o lo g iz e d to h e r c lie n ts, th a t sh e h a s ma d e a tim e ly a nd go o d fa ith e ffo rt to

m a k e re stitu tio n a n d /o r re p a y a n y lo sse s b y e sta b lish in g a n d m a k in g p a y m e n ts

u n d e r a re p ay me n t p la n

, th a t sh e h a s m a d e fu ll a n d fre e d isc lo su re o f h e r

p h y sic a l a n d e m o tio n a l c o n d itio n s to th e disc ip lin a ry b o a rd an d th is Co u rt, th a t

sh e h a s h a d a p ro d u c tiv e a nd su c c e ssfu l 3 5 -y e a r c a re e r a s a la wy e r, a n d th a t sh e

is k n o w n to b e a p e rso n o f c ha ra c te r a n d in te grity with in th e Ba r.

Wo rk m a n a sse rts th a t ba se d o n n e g o t i a tio n s w ith th e S ta te Ba r’s Offic e

o f G e n e ra l Co un se l, sh e a g re e s to a c c e p t a re prim a n d a s d isc ip lin e fo r h e r

v io la tio n s. In a d d itio n

, s h e a g r e e s to th e fo llo win g c o n d itio n s: (1 ) th a t sh e

e x e c u te a p ro m isso ry n o te in fa v o r o f e a c h o f th e fo u r c lie n ts fo r th e fu ll a m o u n t

th e y p a id to he r a n d th a t sh e re p a y t h o s e n ote s p ursu a n t to a p a y m e n t p la n

(Wo rk m a n a c k n o wle dg e s th a t th e o n e c lie n t h a s re tu rn e d h e r p ay m e n ts, b u t sh e

n e v e rth e le ss a g re e s to re p a y th a t c lie n t ) ; (2 ) th a t sh e c o n su lt with th e La w

P ra c tic e Ma n a g e m e n t S e c tio n o f th e Ba r with in 6 0 d ay s a fte r th e Co u rt’s Ord e r

a n d fo llo w its re c o m m e n d a tio n s c o n c e rn in g h e r la w p ra c tic e ; a n d (3 ) th a t fo r a

p e r i o d o f on e y e a r, h e r tre a tin g p sy c h ia trist a n d an y o th e r th e ra p ist wh o m a y

3tre a t h e r will p ro v id e q u a rte rly re p o rts to th e Ba r.

Afte r o u r re v ie w of th e re c o rd

, we a g re e to a c c e p t Wo rk m a n ’s p e titio n fo r

v o lu n ta ry d isc ip lin e a n d a g re e th a t a R e v ie w Pa n e l re p rim a nd with th e a b o v e

d e sc rib e d c o n d itio n s is a p p ro p ria te d isc ip lin e fo r Wo rk m a n ’s a d mitte d

v io la tio n s o f Ru le 1 .4

. S e e In th e Ma tte r o f Kin g

, 2 89 Ga

. 4 5 7 ( 7 1 2 S E 2 d 7 0 )

(2 0 1 1 ). Ac c ord in g ly

, we h e re b y o rd e r th a t Wo rk m a n re c e i v e a Re vie w P a n e l

re p rim a n d in a c c o rd a n c e with Ba r Ru le s 4 -1 0 2 (b ) (4 ) a n d 4 -2 2 0 (b ).

P e titio n fo r v o lu nta ry d isc ip lin e a c c e p te d

. Re vie w Pa n e l re p rim a n d with

c o n d itio n s. All th e Ju stic e s c o n c ur.

4